Utah has a lot to boast about. Our mountains, universities, and technology are world-class. And U.S. News & World Report’s Best States rankings for 2024 just gave us top honors in education, business, and infrastructure.

But we can’t ignore the darker side of life in our state. The area that concerns me most is the rate of violence against girls and women. The data focuses on three key areas: child sexual abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence.

First, according to data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the “prevalence of child sexual abuse is higher in Utah than the nation as a whole (13.9% or ~1 in 7 versus 11.6% or ~1 in 9).” Several other sources also point to findings that child sexual abuse is indeed a serious and troubling problem in Utah. Although boys are also affected, girls and young women are significantly more likely to be victims of abuse.

In fact, four years ago I published an editorial titled “1 in 5 Utah girls were sexually abused last year,” based on data from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC). Perhaps because it is so disturbing, in 2023 most Utahns do not believe that child sexual abuse is a problem in their immediate community. In short, people think, “Not in my neighborhood.”

Second, we know that sexual assault is a significant social, criminal justice, and public health problem in Utah. In fact, a landmark 2007 study reported that one in three Utah women will be a victim of sexual assault and one in six Utah women will be a victim of rape during her lifetime.

Unfortunately, Utah ranks 9th out of 50 states in the number of rapes per capita, and the Utah Department of Health reported in 2021 that Utah’s rape rate was 33% higher than the U.S. rape rate. Still, it is estimated that a small percentage of people (11.8%) who have experienced rape or sexual assault in the state reported the crime to law enforcement.

Third, domestic violence – including domestic partner violence – is a serious and widespread problem affecting women and families in Utah. One in three women in Utah will experience some form of sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking by a domestic partner during her lifetime.

In addition, according to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (State Report 2010-2012), 41.6% of women in Utah will experience psychological aggression, 35.5% will experience expressive aggression, and 36.4% will experience coercive control during their lifetime.

Yet, according to a recent representative study in Utah, only 25.6% of respondents strongly agreed that domestic violence is a problem. Over 50% were either unsure or disagreed—as if “dismissing” domestic violence would make it cease to exist.

Unfortunately, denying things doesn’t make them go away. In fact, ignoring the problems only allows them to spread further. Despite all the data and evidence about this violence in Utah families and communities, we mostly continue to ignore these problems and focus on conversations about what a great place to live in Utah. Worse, many continue to find excuses and justifications for why we shouldn’t be concerned. A few months ago, someone even told me it was “impossible that Utah has higher rates of violence than other states because we have such a good religious culture here.” This prompted me to write a recent article titled “The Connection Between Domestic Violence and Religiosity.” I would argue that if we truly care about our families and Utah as a state, we need to break the silence and take these issues seriously.

Power inequality is the root of violence. Research consistently shows that there tend to be more problems with abuse when men have significantly more power than women – in the home, in groups, communities and societies. At its core, power is about relationships. According to the Sociology Institute, power is “the ability to create or prevent change, influence others and control resources… it often works through more subtle mechanisms such as persuasion, cultural norms and institutional authority.”

The bottom line is that when households, groups, organizations and societies move to what is called a “partnership system,” violence decreases and all members of families and communities can thrive. This includes respect for all contributions, including housekeeping, childcare, volunteering and care work in general – which is just as crucial and important as paid contributions. The problem is that many people and organizations say they value these things, but the deeper culture does not – words rather than actions. It goes far beyond simply claiming that we value these things, which often takes the form of benevolent sexism. Lip service, as well as denial, maintains the status quo.

To change current trends in our state, a lot of work and money must go into reducing violence against girls and women – and boys and men. Although some people continue to make excuses and rationalizations for why we shouldn’t worry, there are many brave people who are willing to acknowledge that things need to change, especially for their daughters and granddaughters. Accepting the hard parts doesn’t take away from the good parts. Only when we put safety and security first can our state truly thrive.

Susan R. Madsen, Ed.D., is the first Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership and Director, Utah Women and Leadership ProjectJon M. Huntsman School of Business, Utah State University.

The Salt Lake Tribune is committed to creating a space where Utahns can share ideas, perspectives and solutions that move our state forward. We need your insight to do this. Find out how you can share your opinion Hereand send us an email to [email protected].